Is a Cashless Society Part of the End Times?

Is a Cashless Society Part of the End Times? - Heather Riggleman- https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/end-times/is-a-cashless-society-part-of-the-end-times.html?utm_source=Pushnami Are we moving towards a cashless society? If we are, does a cashless society mean we are moving into the end times? With all the headlines about cryptocurrency—many Christiansare questioning whether or not it’s a sign that we are moving deeper into the book of Revelation when Christ will make His return. It is often assumed that in order for the Antichrist or the beast to control all sales, a cashless society is a sign that thetribulation is near. It is assumed that so long as we are still using cash, we are not living in the end of days; but if we move towards a cashless society where all transactions become electric, then every transaction can be controlled and monitored by thebeast (Revelation 3:17). Cash, cryptocurrency, or no cash, we are living in the end of days. Jesus’ resurrection and ascension marked the beginning of the ‘end of days' over 2,000 years ago. Manyinterpret the book of Revelation as a way to know when “the end is near” when the Antichrist or the beast control all buying and selling during the tribulation. However, a cashless society is not necessary to fulfill the meaning of Revelation 13:17. What Is a Cashless Society? A cashless society might sound like something out of a science fiction movie but it’s already on its way thanks to some governments and financial service companies vyingfor the new era. However, no society on this planet has gone completely cash-free—despite the rise of cryptocurrency. A cashless society is an economic concept where all goods, services, and sales are executed in an electronic format rather than cash. Items like electronic cards or deviceswill be used for all transactions. It can be in the form of what we use today: credit cards, debit cards, or mobile wallets. Other examples are widely used today such as Venmo, PayPal, Apple Wallet, and Amazon Go. What Are the End Times or End of Days? How we understand Eschatology (the study of what the Bible says about what will happen during the end of days) has an impact on our lives here and now and what we are toexpect to occur. The End of Days is prophesied by many events that will occur. These events can be categorized as political signs, spiritual signs, natural signs, and sociological signs. The Bible tells if that if many of the signs are present, we can knowfor sure we are living in the end times. Jesus’ ascension after His crucifixion and resurrection marked the beginning of the End of Days. Luke 21:11 also lists some of the natural signs as a sign of the times thatwill occur before Jesus’ second coming: “There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” Jesus called these things “birth pangs” in Matthew 24:8 but that does not mean we are tointerpret every natural disaster as a sign of the end times. Matthew 24:6-7 predicted that “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” “Wars and rumors of wars” are definitely characteristic of this present age and what we witness in thenews. Along with the signs God will use in the natural and spiritual realms, society will continue to decline in immorality. 2 Timothy 3:13 tells us evildoers and imposters willgo from bad to worse. We will be lovers of ourselves and doing right in our eyes (2 Timothy 3:1-4). This moral decline and a cashless society will supposedly usher in the Antichrist who will control all buying and selling by forcing people to “take the mark of the beast.” Some believe it could be a microchip while others currently believe it means the use of credit cards. Some believe the church will be raptured as Christ comes in the clouds to snatch away all those who trust in Him (1 Corinthians 15:52). The “dead in Christ” will be resurrectedand taken to heaven too. Then the Antichrist will rise as he gains worldwide control with promises of peace and he will be aided by a false prophet (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8, 13:1; Revelation 13:1; 19:20; Daniel 9:27). Those who are left behind after the Rapture will be faced with an unbearable choice—accept the mark of the beast in order to buy and sell goods to survive, or face starvationand horrific persecution by the Antichrist and his followers. Does the Bible Say Anything about a Cashless Society? There are two references about a cashless society, but the Bible does not specifically contain the phrase, ‘cashless society.’ Revelation 13:16-18 says, “Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that noone can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.” Isaiah 55:1-13 says, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; andI will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shallrun to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.” Does a Cashless Society Point to End Times? We are currently living in the end times, cash or no cash. However, the conditions described in Revelation 13:17 existed without a cashless society. If a tradesman wantedto sell his goods, he needed to be a member of the trade association or guild. Each association had a patron deity and in order to trade, each craftsman had to be willing to worship the deities. If a follower of Christ refused to worship a deity, they werenot allowed to buy or sell goods. In modern communist countries, Christians have been barred and banned altogether from buying or selling goods. Some authorities make it clear no one is to buy or sell toChrist-followers in countries like China or Iran today. Should Christians Embrace a Cashless Society if It Comes to That? According to the latest research, 86% of Americans are paperless when it comes to financial transactions. 29% of Americans never purchase with cash and 52% state they only “occasionally” purchase goods and services with cash. These days, there are virtually dozens of ways to pay for goods and services without using cash. From Venmo to debit cards to credit cards and even cryptocurrency, we are slowly moving towards a cashlesssociety. Many view a cashless society as an imminent threat because they believe it will usher in the Antichrist and make it easier for the government to track us and therefore controlus—eventually giving the Antichrist the ability to implement the mark of the beast. However, when the Antichrist does come, he will have the power to declare cash as worthless. He will have the power to require a new form of cash and require individuals totake the mark of the beast and pledge their allegiance in order to acquire this new way of buying and selling goods. But even in a cashless society, there are ways around the system. Bartering will always exist. A cashless society will not usher in the Antichrist, nor is it ungodly or antibiblical. Should a cashless society happen, Christians should not fear it. Instead, Christiansshould have faith in God. Faith and trust that He will provide for all of their needs. Ultimately, we need to remember God is the one who provides our jobs and He is the one who supplies all of our needs. The rapture could occur at any moment. The good news is that it’s not too late to choose eternal life. It’s not too late to study God’s Word and get to know Him better. It’s not too late to trust He will takecare of all your needs. All that is required is faith in God’s free gift of grace through His Son, Jesus Christ. One thing is certain, you will be trading the world’s riches for eternity. ------------------------------------------------------ Big Tech Censorship Sets the Stage for the Rise of the Antichrist � Britt Gillette - http://www.end-times-bible-prophecy.com/big-tech-censorship-sets-the-stage-for-the-rise-of-the-antichrist.html In an August 2019 article titled "Silicon Valley Censorship and the Coming Global Police State," I wrote the following: "If you love freedom and liberty, recent actionsfrom high tech companies should have you worried. In pursuit of profit, the mega companies of Silicon Valley have created products that invade user privacy. And they easily cave to the demands of totalitarian governments." Unfortunately, recent events revealthe United States is now among those totalitarian governments. On July 15, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced White House officials were "meeting with social media platforms" and had "increased disinformation research andtracking." She said the administration is "flagging problematic posts from Facebook that spread disinformation" and working to "connect doctors and medical professionals who are popular with their audiences with accurate information" so as to "boost trustedcontent." If you don't believe me, watch her press conference here. This is a blatant violation of every American's First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Who determines what is or isn't "disinformation?" In her words, the governmentdoes. And who determines what is or isn't "accurate information" or "trusted content?" Again, in the eyes of the Biden Administration, it's government. They are the arbiters of "correct" speech. It's their job to "protect" you from the evils of errant thoughts. As if this weren't bad enough, the U.S. Surgeon General followed up with his own lecture on the dangers of free thought and how the biggest threat to our health and safetyis our stubborn unwillingness to agree with him. According to Dr. Vivek Murthy, "We live in a world where misinformation poses an imminent and insidious threat to our nation's health. Health misinformation is false, inaccurate, or misleading information abouthealth according to the best evidence of the time. And while it often appears innocuous on social media apps, on retail sites or search engines, the truth is that misinformation takes away our freedom to make informed decisions about our health and the healthof our loved ones." Stop right there, and read that again. According to the Surgeon General, "misinformation takes away our freedom." No, sir. That's not true. Government suppression of freespeech takes away our freedom - the exact government censorship of speech you're advocating. He goes on, "Modern technology companies have enabled misinformation to poison our information environment with little accountability to their users. They've allowed peoplewho intentionally spread misinformation - what we call disinformation - to have extraordinary reach. They've designed product features such as like buttons that reward us for sharing emotionally charged content, not accurate content, and their algorithms tendto give us more of what we click on, pulling us deeper and deeper into a well of misinformation." Any freedom loving individual should find these statements both chilling and frightening. If the Surgeon General thinks disinformation has invaded the public discourse,he's free to combat that disinformation with facts and persuasive arguments. The government has no right to censor its critics. Again, if you find all this hard to believe, watch the Surgeon General's comments for yourself by clicking here. According to the White House and the Surgeon General, freedom of speech is such a dire threat, social media platforms should collude with government to delete any postsor content the Biden White House deems "disinformation." Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other social media platforms are more than happy to comply, and their crackdown on the evils of free speech doesn't end with public postings. According to Politico, "Biden allied groups, including the Democratic National Committee, are also planning to engage fact-checkers more aggressively and work with SMS carriersto dispel misinformation about vaccines that is sent over social media and text messages." This means government authorities might "fact-check" future private text messages between you and your friends. Imagine being in the middle of a phone call with a friend,and the government cuts off your call because the two of you are discussing "disinformation." Most people would be outraged. Yet, that's exactly what the government is doing with this social media disinformation censorship campaign. Free Speech is Under Assault People have warned about this assault on free speech for years. For instance, in July 2020, over 100 writers, academics, and political and cultural activists published anopen letter in Harper's Magazine on the topic of justice and open debate. The signatories were a diverse list of well-known celebrities, including J.K. Rowling, Margaret Atwood, Noam Chomsky, Salman Rushdie, Malcolm Gladwell, and Gloria Steinem. In their letter,the authors pointed out "the free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily becoming more constricted." They wrote the letter because the current cancel culture narrows "the boundaries of what can be said without the threatof reprisal." College campuses used to be open forums for free speech and radical ideas. Today, they're ground zero for the assault on free speech � a place where totalitarians silenceall dissent. This dictatorial impulse is spreading from the college campus to the public discourse, leading to censorship both online and offline - from social media platforms to local school board meetings. The willingness of so many people to suppress freespeech foreshadows the rise of a dictatorial state. Widespread support for cancel culture and the demonization of opposing points-of-view set the stage for an oppressive government willing to use violence to enforce its edicts. Ironically, many of the peoplewho claim to be anti-fascist are the exact same people who support social media censorship of any ideas they don't like. Cancelling People All this is a threat to the very foundations of human freedom and liberty. In an age when social media dominates public discourse, access to these platforms is vital toget a message out. Don't believe me? Try getting your message out to a large audience without using Facebook, Twitter, Google, Apple, Amazon, YouTube, or Netflix. It's nearly impossible. If they can de-platform the sitting President of the United States (whichthey did to Donald Trump), then they can de-platform you as well. We're living in a world where the largest technology firms have more power than most totalitarian governments had in bygone eras. Since the police power of government rulesover these Big Tech companies, that means governments around the world are now more powerful than they've ever been. The power and reach of Big Tech is global in nature, and they've shown their willingness to use this power to silence you. In recent months, Big Tech has cancelled people and organizations deemed as dangerous or not sufficiently "woke." YouTube channels have been demonetized or shut down. Twitterand Facebook accounts have been suspended. Websites have been dropped by their hosting companies, and businesses have been frozen out of using PayPal, Visa, and MasterCard. If large corporations "cancel" you and refuse to provide you with basic services, howcan you operate in the modern world? You can't. At least, not as effectively. They have the power to cancel people. What the Bible Says So what does the Bible say about all of this? The Bible says a time is coming when a global dictator will rule the world (Revelation 13:7). He will succeed in everythinghe does (Daniel 8:24). His power will be so great no one will be able to oppose him (Revelation 13:4). His control over the earth will be so complete, he'll regulate the purchase and sale of everything (Revelation 13:17). For most of human history, this wasimpossible. As this is written, it's probably still impossible. But that window of impossibility is closing fast. As technology continues to advance, every aspect of human life becomes reliant on and intertwined with digital payments and the Internet. If accessto those utilities is cut off, an individual's ability to participate in modern day society is also cut off. This sets the stage for the Antichrist to control all buy/sell transactions on the planet (Revelation 13:17) and to determine at his whim who can or cannot participate inmodern society. This is precisely the type of power Big Tech firms are consolidating today. The Surgeon General claims this is bad because "Modern technology companies have enabled misinformation to poison our information environment with little accountabilityto their users." He's wrong. What Big Tech is doing is enabling governments to limit, censor, and trample the rights and liberties of their citizens with little accountability to the ones they aim to rule. This is the road to dictatorship, and I have no doubtBig Tech will be a willing participant in the establishment of the ultimate dictatorship - the Antichrist's global police state. All this is yet another indication of the times in which we live. Jesus said when you see all these events take place, look up (Luke 21:28). So use what little time is leftto spread the Gospel, because Jesus is coming soon! VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM